Sebastian Vettel hasn't expressed a 2014 team-mate preference, insists Christian Horner

Red Bull chief Christian Horner says that Sebastian Vettel has not tried to exert any influence over the team's decision on who partners him in their line-up for 2014.

Although Webber is a nine-times grand prix race winner himself, any arrival at Red Bull for Raikkonen would undoubtedly create a new dynamic at the team given both the Finn and Vettel have won the World Championship. Horner, however, has insisted that Red Bull could manage having two big-name drivers in the same team. "Both drivers get the same opportunity," Horner insisted. "It's down to what they do on the track that determines who is the lead driver or not, and the lead driver at any given time is the one who has the most points." Red Bull have indicated that an announcement regarding Webber's successor is likely to be made at one of the next two grand prix, Spa and Monza. Raikkonen and Ricciardo remain the favourites for the drive despite the excitement created by the unexpected Alonso speculation after the Spaniard's manager and Horner were seen in conversation at the Hungaroring. Although Flavio Briatore, a confidant of Alonso and still part of the Spaniard's management team, insisted last week that the double world champion wasn't angling for a move away from Ferrari, speculation has continued into the summer break that the 32-year-old is assessing his options. Earlier this week the Daily Mail reported that it 'understands Briatore's view is certainly not shared by Red Bull's powerbrokers and that Alonso, who has remained tight-lipped regarding his future, is still very much under consideration. 'Alonso is understood to have break clauses in his deal with Ferrari and has already demonstrated he is prepared to turn his back on one of the biggest names in Formula One after he walked out on McLaren after just one tumultuous year sharing a garage with Lewis Hamilton.'